Make your own metaphor - Coping is as individual as you are.
Dear Sir
Wiggins (Personal View BMJ 2012; 345 e4706),explains the shortcomings of military metaphor in dealing with cancer and calls for new ones. Many are available, often relating to being on a journey, being lost, of falling into the unknown and being isolated.
I took up a career in medicine after treatment for a neuroblastoma and have had many interesting discussions with my own patients and in patients’ organisations. All metaphors are limited, people with cancer know we are not only affected by the illness but by the labels society places on us which reflects the fear that most people have of the disease. We soon learn that we have to find our own way.
There are different mental adjustments to cancer 1 and Kubler– Ross2 has described the grief cycle demonstrating differing attitudes whilst assimilating bad news.
How we (doctors and nurses) influence our patients coping abilities requires more research and some interesting work has begun as part of the DoH/Macmillan survivorship initiative3.
Often words are not enough and the paintings by Michelangelo Petrone4 can help to bring comfort and meaning to the experience.
There are many sources of help for patients such as Macmillan Cancer Support patients organisations where patients can explore what best help them, given the opportunity many will work out their own. One much publicised example being Dennis Potter who named his tumour ‘Rupert’.
Wiggins’ Personal view will hopefully prompt a debate on how we can best help our patients come to terms with their illness. Coping is not an absolute science but it is a subject that is being studied5 .
My own experience is that those patients who do wish to, can find much help in support groups6 .
Eric Watts DM FRCP FRCPath
Retired Haematologist
1 Greer , S et al 1990 Psychological response to breast cancer and 15-year outcome Lancet 335(8680)p49-50
2 Kübler-Ross, E. (1969) On Death and Dying, Routledge
3 http://www.ncsi.org.uk/
4 mapfoundation.org
5 Coping the psychology of what works Ed Snyder, C.R.1999 Oxford University Press
6 www.nationalcancer.org
Rapid Response:
Re: Stop using military metaphors for disease
Make your own metaphor - Coping is as individual as you are.
Dear Sir
Wiggins (Personal View BMJ 2012; 345 e4706),explains the shortcomings of military metaphor in dealing with cancer and calls for new ones. Many are available, often relating to being on a journey, being lost, of falling into the unknown and being isolated.
I took up a career in medicine after treatment for a neuroblastoma and have had many interesting discussions with my own patients and in patients’ organisations. All metaphors are limited, people with cancer know we are not only affected by the illness but by the labels society places on us which reflects the fear that most people have of the disease. We soon learn that we have to find our own way.
There are different mental adjustments to cancer 1 and Kubler– Ross2 has described the grief cycle demonstrating differing attitudes whilst assimilating bad news.
How we (doctors and nurses) influence our patients coping abilities requires more research and some interesting work has begun as part of the DoH/Macmillan survivorship initiative3.
Often words are not enough and the paintings by Michelangelo Petrone4 can help to bring comfort and meaning to the experience.
There are many sources of help for patients such as Macmillan Cancer Support patients organisations where patients can explore what best help them, given the opportunity many will work out their own. One much publicised example being Dennis Potter who named his tumour ‘Rupert’.
Wiggins’ Personal view will hopefully prompt a debate on how we can best help our patients come to terms with their illness. Coping is not an absolute science but it is a subject that is being studied5 .
My own experience is that those patients who do wish to, can find much help in support groups6 .
Eric Watts DM FRCP FRCPath
Retired Haematologist
1 Greer , S et al 1990 Psychological response to breast cancer and 15-year outcome Lancet 335(8680)p49-50
2 Kübler-Ross, E. (1969) On Death and Dying, Routledge
3 http://www.ncsi.org.uk/
4 mapfoundation.org
5 Coping the psychology of what works Ed Snyder, C.R.1999 Oxford University Press
6 www.nationalcancer.org
Competing interests: No competing interests